Technology Degree Apprentice Review

During first year, as PwC Technology Degree Apprentices, I attend university as any other student at the University of Birmingham. During term time, we only have to attend weekly engagement sessions to learn about different business areas within PwC. This means that there is not much PwC related work during the term. In the summer holiday of first year, I will be doing 10 week placement at the office.

I have learnt a wide variety of skills so far. On the university side, we have learnt about many new aspects of Computer Science such as data structures and algorithms, object oriented programming and mathematical foundations for Computer Science. In the second semester, we will be taking modules on full stack development, artificial intelligence and theories of computation.

I very much enjoy my program. Unlike many other apprenticeship schemes, I am able to enjoy my time as a student to the fullest extent just like any other student. This has allowed me to make new friends and take part in a wide range of activities which I might not have been able to do on other apprenticeship schemes.

On the university side, the course is well structured - aiming to give everyone a foundational knowledge in order to progress onto second year and further. There are regular assessments to ensure we understand the content. On the PwC side, there is a laid out plan of setting you up to take part in your summer placement in first year. From October to December, there are weekly engagement sessions. Within these sessions, staff from the respective lines of service join a call to talk us through the type of work they do.

There a lots of support available from PwC. Our first line of contact is our buddy. A buddy is someone who is on the programme in the year above at the same university. Further from that, there is a team of staff at PwC who run the programme who make themselves known so that anyone is able to reach out and have a discussion about any problems we may be encountering.

At the University of Birmingham, every student has a personal tutor that they meet with on a weekly basis for one hour. During these meetings, you can ask your tutor anything ranging from problems you have with the content you have learnt to personal issues that you may be facing.

As I am in first year and yet to go on placement, it is difficult to tell how useful what I am learning will be while working. However, within our object oriented programming module, we learnt how to use Java which is a programming language that is used throughout PwC.

There have been a number of social events held at the university for people on the PwC. These events have ranged from a social at the student union bar to a fully booked venue for our annual Christmas party. Throughout all these events, food and drinks are paid for by PwC which is a great bonus!

Yes

If you are interested in Computer Science at university, this course is a no-brainer. Your tuition fee is fully funded and you get a salary higher than what you would receive from Student Finance. Another huge advantage over other apprenticeship programmes is that you attend university as normal!

Something that is very important to PwC, and something that will make you stand out, is to truly understand the values set out by the company and show them when doing your video interview and assessment center. Try and do this by doing, not just stating the values. Action speak louder than words!